In performing certain surgical procedures for the morbidly obese, and esophagectomy, rectal and gallbladder, the use of various types of retractors is a common practice. In many such procedures, however, the configuration of certain of the prior retractors created a problem for the surgeon by obstructing the normal positioning and manipulation of certain surgical instruments and for the patient because such retractors caused parts of the patient's body to become destended, distorted or bruised resulting in post-operative pain or discomfort. Furthermore, prior retractors were oftentimes awkward to manipulate and required an inordinate amount of dexterity to assemble and disassemble and to adjust so as to accommodate a particular anatomical condition.